Spain's daily coronavirus death rate shot up to 743 on Tuesday after falling for four straight days, lifting the total toll to 13,798, the health ministry said.

The number of new infections in the world's second hardest-hit country after Italy also grew at a faster pace, rising 4.1 percent to 140,510, it added. The number of new cases had risen by 3.3 percent on Monday.

Health ministry officials have said deaths occurring on the weekend are often registered a few days later, which may explain the rise.